People often don't realize that your voice inflection and body language are paramount in communication. Non-verbal and para-verbal communication make up 93% of any message received. This topic was presented at SpecTECHular by Karianne Brooks, and it discusses how to make the most out of communication, with a focus on making sure our non-verbal communication parallels the message we are intending to deliver.

Great leaders know they must provide value to the people who work for them that goes way beyond a paycheck. That value often comes in the guidance, the teaching, and the advice they share with their people. Many emerging leaders wonder how they’re going to find the words to say, and the right voice to share them with. Here are some thoughts about how to find your personal leadership voice.

There are some managers who are afraid to have any of their people “outshine” them. They fear their own image will be somehow reduced. But this is like a great conductor avoiding having anyone in the orchestra who plays any instrument better than they do. It just doesn’t make sense. No conductor can possibly play every instrument that well that they would have anything but awful musicians in the chairs as a result.

Managing training in an organization is a crucial and challenging role. Crucial, because the improvement of the entire company depends upon the improvement of each of it’s people’s skills. Challenging because you must balance the needs of the company’s operations with the growth plan for each individual with the budget that’s available to you and, finally, with the requirements of each of the vendors whose products you sell or use. Not simple by any stretch of the imagination. Here are some strategies that help.

Everyone and everything in our world today has needs. Children need guidance, we all need shelter, and of course, your dog needs to hang its head out of the car window. In the work realm, we have needs too: coffee, if you have a pulse, analytics if you’re a boss and no matter who you are, training on how to do your job properly.

Do you like free money? Who doesn’t? It just so happens that in two weeks, we’re giving a LOT of it away. Over $500,000 to be exact and what’s better is you could be a lucky recipient of it.Ok, now that I have your attention, let me explain how you could win. It doesn’t mean that just by reading this blog, Ben and his clique are going to magically fly out of the computer screen and into your pockets (although, that would be pretty nice).

Isn’t it vexing when you and your superior have differing viewpoints? Do you manage a team and sense frustrations amongst them? Maybe you’re a member of an executive team and are constantly feeling like there isn’t enough time to achieve goals? No matter your rank, these are all difficulties experienced in the workplace that fashion disruption. A lingering absence of communication and respect inevitably detours the culture of a company.

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There are times when you have to share the spotlight with one or more fellow presenters. If it falls to you to act as moderator, here are a few points to keep in mind: 1. Plan a general outline for the presentation and alert each presenter of your need to do so. This will push people to prepare their content early and do a more thorough job. 2. Ask each presenter for some biographical information. If you need to warm up the audience or introduce each person before they present, a little background can be very helpful. 3. Correspond with the other presenters well ahead of time and always provide ample ways to contact you. In addition, make sure you ask for multiple contact routes to stay in touch with presenters. 4. Ask that each presenter consider a list of at least three questions that audience members are likely to have. Putting oneself in the place of the audience can help foster more stimulating discussion and structure a more useful presentation. 5. Make each presenter well aware of the amount of time they can use for their show, and establish a signal for where time is almost up, and when they need to finish. 6. Give some coaching as to the format of the question and answer part of the show: whether questions may be addressed before the next speaker, how many may be answered, and whether other speakers may chime in.

Be at the center of it all.

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